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Haunted Island
| runtime = | country = United States | language = Silent English intertitles | budget = }} Haunted Island is a 1928 American silent action film serial directed by Robert F. Hill. The serial was released in 10 chapters of two reels each,Rainey, Buck. Sweethearts of the Sage: Biographies and Filmographies of 258 Actresses Appearing in Western Movies. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1992. ISBN 0-89950-565-1 with the first episode ("A Night of Fear") released on March 26, 1928. Each episode featured a lurid title, such as "The Phantom Rider," "The Haunted Room," "The Fires of Fury," or "Buried Alive."Braff, Richard E. The Universal Silents: A Filmography of the Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company, 1912-1929. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1999. ISBN 0-7864-0287-3 The serial was a remake of the 1918 Universal serial The Brass Bullet, which was based on the story "Pleasure Island."Lahue, Kalton C. Continued Next Week: A History of the Moving Picture Serial. Stillwater, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964; Langman, Larry. Return to Paradise: A Guide to South Sea Island Films. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8108-3268-2 As of October 2009, Haunted Island is considered a lost film."The Lost Serial Collection DVD Set." The Serial Squadron. No date. Accessed 2009-10-15. Synopsis Rosalind Joy (Helen Foster) is an heiress who has inherited a South Seas island known as Pleasure Island. A hidden cache of gold is allegedly buried on the island, which has several haunted structures. Rosalind's uncle, Spring Gilbert (Al Ferguson), wants the gold for himself and declares he will stop at nothing, not even the death of his niece, to get it. Rosalind, meanwhile, is befriended by Jerry Fitzjames (Jack Dougherty), a playwright. Unfortunately, Jack has only recently escaped from a psychiatric hospital. Although he swears to protect Rosalind, she doubts Jerry's sanity. The two lovers race against Uncle Gilbert (who has set several traps for them) to find the treasure. In the end, Rosalind and Jerry are aided by the "Phantom Rider," a spectral horseman.For additional plot information, see: Rainey, Buck. Serials and Series: A World Filmography, 1912-1956. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1999. ISBN 0-7864-0449-3 Casting and marketing Actor Jack Dougherty had been signed by Universal in 1924, and quickly became of the leading men in Universal's serials.Rainey, Buck. The Strong, Silent Type: Over 100 Screen Cowboys, 1903-1930. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004. ISBN 0-7864-1286-0 However, this film was Dougherty's last for Universal.Rainey, Buck. Serial Film Stars: A Biographical Dictionary, 1912-1956. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2005. ISBN 0-7864-2010-3 To market the film, Universal Studios printed a unique "one-sheet"—a 27 inch by 41 inch (68.6 cm by 119.4 cm), five-color poster in the form of an old pirate map illustrated with scenes from each chapter of the serial.Lahue, Kalton C. Bound and Gagged: The Story of the Silent Serials. South Brunswick, N.J.: A.S. Barnes, 1968. Cast * Jack Dougherty - Jerry Fitzjames * Helen Foster - Rosalind Joy * Carl Miller - Yetor King * Al Ferguson - Spring Gilbert * John T. Prince - Mark Joy * Grace Cunard - Mary Strong * Wilbur Mack * Myrtle Grinley * John Wallace * Scotty Mattraw See also * List of film serials * List of film serials by studio References External links * Category:1928 films Category:American films Category:American silent serial films Category:1920s adventure films Category:Black-and-white films Category:Universal Pictures film serials Category:Films directed by Robert F. Hill Category:1928 Category:Film